Sei sulla pagina 1di 42

Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 1, General Introduction

Advanced Scales and Chords


Table of Contents
GENERAL INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 4

FLASHCARDS .............................................................................................. 5
THE LEARNING GAME ..................................................................................................................................5
PLAYING THE NOTES ...................................................................................................................................5

INTERVALS .................................................................................................. 9
BASIC INTERVALS.......................................................................................................................................10
ALTERED INTERVALS .................................................................................................................................11

ADVANCED SCALES ................................................................................. 12


THE PENTATONIC SCALES........................................................................................................................12
DIMINISHED HANDS....................................................................................................................................13
WHOLE-TONE HAND ..................................................................................................................................14
CHURCH MODES IN ALL KEYS ..................................................................................................................15
ARTIFICIAL CHURCH MODES ....................................................................................................................16

APPLICATION OF SCALES TO CHORDS ................................................. 18

CHORD THEORY........................................................................................ 20
REHEARSING THE CHORDS......................................................................................................................20
ROCK AND JAZZ TERMINOLOGY ..............................................................................................................20
FUNCTIONAL HARMONY / DIATONIC TRIADS .........................................................................................21
SEVENTH CHORDS (4 PARTS) ..................................................................................................................22
SIXTH CHORDS (4 / 5 PARTS)....................................................................................................................23
SUS CHORDS ..............................................................................................................................................23
CHORDS WITH ADDED NOTES .................................................................................................................24
CHORDS WITH BASS NOTE.......................................................................................................................24
EXTENDED CHORDS ..................................................................................................................................25
NINTH CHORDS (5 PARTS) ........................................................................................................................26
DOUBLE-ALTERED CHORDS .....................................................................................................................27
ELEVENTH CHORDS (6 PARTS) ................................................................................................................27
THIRTEENTH CHORDS (7 PARTS) ............................................................................................................28
STACKED CHORDS .....................................................................................................................................29
POLYCHORDS .............................................................................................................................................29

CHORD DICTIONARY ................................................................................ 30


STANDARD CHORDS ..................................................................................................................................31
EXTENDED CHORDS, 7 ..............................................................................................................................32
EXTENDED CHORDS, 9 ..............................................................................................................................33
EXTENDED CHORDS, 11 ............................................................................................................................34
EXTENDED CHORDS, 6 ..............................................................................................................................35
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 2, General Introduction

EXTENDED CHORDS, (B5) .........................................................................................................................36


NEUTRAL CHORDS, + .................................................................................................................................37
NEUTRAL CHORDS, DIM ............................................................................................................................38
NEUTRAL CHORDS, SUS ...........................................................................................................................39
MOVABLE CHORDS, ADVANCED JAZZ .....................................................................................................40
THE BARRE CHORD ...................................................................................................................................41

INDEX SCALES AND CHORDS ................................................................. 42


Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 3, General Introduction

All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ


Volume 2 The Electric Bass
ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS 4 of 7 Documents
ISBN 87-88619-70-2
nd st
2 Edition, 1 Issue
Summer 2001 Produced in Denmark

Digital Books is a trademark of


NORDISC Music & Text, Ryparken 6, 1. th., Copenhagen 2100 Kbh.

www.nordisc-music.com/
nordisc@runbox.com

Text, notes and musical examples:


Copyright H.W. Gade 2001

Illustrations, layout and concept, original text


Copyright H.W. Gade 1984-85/2001

All rights reserved. Copying or reproduction in full/in extension not allowed. No public hire of the material
allowed without the written permission of the publishing house.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 4, General Introduction

General Introduction
This chapter of the Electric Bass deals with some heavy theoretical stuff. It is divided
into Scales (Flashcards, Intervals, Advanced Scales) and Chords (Chord Theory,
Chord Dictionary). Flashcards and Intervals are obligatory for all bass players, no
matter what style they play - Jazz, Rock, Salsa, Reggae or High Life. The Advanced
Scales chapter is primarily targeted at jazz musicians. The Chord Theory is
obligatory for all bass players, containing lots of examples of guitar chords, as you
will have to be able to play rather professionally on a guitar in order to understand
the bass and its role in the orchestra regard the Chord Dictionary chapter as a mini
course in advanced rhythm guitar playing.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 5, Flashcards

Flashcards
Flashcards are widespread memory games used by students in disciplines as
mathematics, language and music alike. You have a set of card covering a certain
subject, in our case the names of the notes of the fretboard for each string. The idea
is to learn the positions and names by heart in order to play fluently across the whole
neck.

THE LEARNING GAME


The Fretboard Quiz Game consists of twelve cards, each representing a step within an
octave on one string, for example E root to E first octave on the E-string. The cards are
included in this book. Print out the front back (question) and the results page (answer) and glue
them together, laminate them and cut the 12 cards out with a pair of scissors.
In the learning period, always keep the twelve cards in your pocket or bag. When you have a
spare moment, e.g. riding in a bus or standing in a queue, produce a card and list the fret name
of the selected flashcard for each string on the fretboard, e.g. from the G-string down to the B-
string. When you get more experienced, you may simply ask yourself a random fret number,
listing all the names on all strings.
Finally, when you have a solid grip on the first octave, you must add the second octave, which
happens to have the same names as the first octave, only placed 12 frets higher.

PLAYING THE NOTES


It is equally important to play the notes on the bass as learning it by heart. The position on the
fretboard should be connected to the name in your brain as second nature.
Rehearse the names physically on the bass 30min a day, while playing the game at least 10
minutes a day in your pauses or spare time.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 6, Flashcards

Fig. 1 Flashcard Templates

Front of Flashcard (questions)

All Aspects of All Aspects of All Aspects of All Aspects of


ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ
Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz

Fret #1 Fret #2 Fret #3 Fret #4


Digital Books Digital Books Digital Books Digital Books

All Aspects of All Aspects of All Aspects of All Aspects of


ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ
Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz

Fret #5 Fret #6 Fret #7 Fret #8


Digital Books Digital Books Digital Books Digital Books

All Aspects of All Aspects of All Aspects of All Aspects of


ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ ROCK & JAZZ
Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz Fretboard Quiz

Fret #9 Fret #10 Fret #11 Fret #12


Digital Books Digital Books Digital Books Digital Books
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 7, Flashcards

(Fig. 2 Flashcard Templates, continued)

Back of Flashcard (answers)

Notes on Fret 1 Notes on Fret 2 Notes on Fret 3 Notes on Fret 4


String Up Down String Up Down String Up Down String Up Down
G G# Ab G A A G A# Bb G B B
D D# Eb D E E D F F D F# Gb
A A# Bb A B B A C C A C# Db
E F F E F# Gb E G G E G# Ab
B C C B C# Db B D D B D# Eb

Notes on Fret 5 Notes on Fret 6 Notes on Fret 7 Notes on Fret 8


String Up Down String Up Down String Up Down String Up Down
G C C G C# Db G D D G D# Eb
D G G D G# Ab D A A D A# Bb
A D D A D# Eb A E E A F F
E A A E A# Bb E B B E C C
B E E B F F B F# Gb B G G

Notes on Fret 9 Notes on Fret 10 Notes on Fret 11 Notes on Fret 12


String Up Down String Up Down String Up Down String Up Down
G E E G F F G F# Gb G G G
D B B D C C D C# Db D D D
A F# Gb A G G A G# Ab A A A
E C# Db E D D E D# Eb E E E
B G# Ab B A A B A# Bb B B B
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 8, Flashcards

Ask the Professor!

Q: What is Tablature???
A: The tablature is a 500 years old alternative notation system for stringed
instruments like basses and guitars. Opposite to the prevailing music notation,
tablature uses the strings with numbers (in the renaissance: letters) to show the
individual notes, their pitch and their exact placing on the guitar. This is can be
a great advantage for the player, but it can limit your fantasy, as traditional
notation does not tell you which string and fret to play, for example an E note,
leaving it up to own your talent and style. For transcription of famous solos etc
though, the tablature is a must. After 20 year in obscurity, the tablature is now
(year 2001) very common among young guitarists but do not forget to learn
the traditional notes too!

1 Strings, sometimes with letters 4 Fret numbers (chord)


2 TAB clef, sometimes omitted 5 Rests, sometimes omitted
3 Meter 6 Note stem, sometimes omitted
The example in traditional notation
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 9, Intervals

Intervals
The building bricks of all scales and chords are named Intervals. You can read more
about Interval theory in the All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ/1 Music Theory, chapter
Harmony. In this book, you will find a number of ways to employ the intervals on the
bass. As usual, it is important to rehearse the theoretical stuff in real life, i.e. with
your fingers, so try to play the intervals immediately after reading about them.

The distance between 2 frets (marks on the neck on a fretless bass) is half a note step.
Each octave is divided into 12 steps.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 10, Intervals

BASIC INTERVALS

Fig. 3 Basic Intervals

# Name Description Distance in Frets


1 Prime 0 steps 0 frets

b2 Minor Second Half step 1 fret

2 Major Second 1 whole step 2 frets

b3 Minor Third 1 whole Step + Half Step 3 frets

3 Major Third 2 whole Steps 4 frets

4 Perfect Fourth 2 whole Steps + 1 Half Step 5 frets


*)
#4 Augmented Fourth 3 whole Steps 6 frets

b5 Diminished Fifth 3 whole Steps 6 frets


(Tritonus) *)
5 Perfect Fifth 3 whole Steps + 1 Half Step 7 frets

b6 Minor Sixth 4 whole Steps 8 frets

6 Major Sixth 4 whole Steps + 1 Half Step 9 frets

b7 Minor Seventh 5 whole Steps 10 frets

7 Major Seventh 5 whole Steps + 1 Half Step 11 frets

8 Octave 6 whole Steps 12 frets

*)
Enharmonic Notes, see All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ/1 Music Theory
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 11, Intervals

ALTERED INTERVALS
In jazz, the intervals are often altered, i.e. diminished or augmented. Learn the names by heart
and do not be confused by the somewhat misleading naming convention, which is a parallel to
the illogical functional harmonic system in Jazz (I, II, III etc.).

Fig. 4 Altered Intervals

Name Original Interval Frets New Interval Frets


Diminished
Minor Second (2) 2 Diminished Second 1
Minor Third (b3) 3 Diminished Minor Third 2
Fourth (4) 5 Diminished Fourth 4
Fifth (5) 7 Diminished Fifth 5
Minor Sixth (b6) 9 Diminished Minor Sixth 8
Minor Seventh (b7) 10 Diminished Minor Seventh 9
Major Second (2) 2 Diminished Second 1
Major Third (3) 3 Diminished Major Third 3
Fourth (4) 5 Diminished Fourth 4
Fifth (5) 7 Diminished Fifth 5
Major Sixth (b6) 9 Diminished Major Sixth 9
Major Seventh (b7) 10 Diminished Major Seventh 11
Augmented
Minor Second (2) 2 Augmented Second 3
Minor Third (b3) 3 Augmented Minor Third 4
Fourth (4) 5 Augmented Fourth 5
Fifth (5) 7 Augmented Fifth 6
Minor Sixth (b6) 9 Augmented Minor Sixth 10
Minor Seventh (b7) 10 Augmented Minor Seventh 11
Major Second (2) 2 Augmented Second 3
Major Third (3) 3 Augmented Major Third 4
Fourth (4) 5 Augmented Fourth 6
Fifth (5) 7 Augmented Fifth 8
Major Sixth (b6) 9 Augmented Major Sixth 10
Major Seventh (b7) 10 Augmented Major Seventh 12
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 12, Advanced Scales

Advanced Scales
In the All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ/1 Music Theory, you can find the theoretical
basis of scales. In this section, we will work with the advanced scales used in Jazz
music.

THE PENTATONIC SCALES


A pentatonic scale is a neutral scale, and should not be classified as a major or minor scale due
to lack of the active scale degrees (the fourth and Seventh scale steps in a major scale).
Nonetheless, many teachers and music books use an artificial and incorrect major/minor system
for the neutral pentatonic scales, so, not to confuse you, the same terminology is used in this
chapter as well.

Fig. 5 C Major Pentatonic Scale

The Major Pentatonic Scale is similar to the Major Blues without a Fourth and Seventh.

Fig. 6 E Minor Pentatonic Scale

The Minor Pentatonic Scale is identical to the Original Pentatonic Scale:


Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 13, Advanced Scales

DIMINISHED HANDS
All Diminished scales are based on stacked minor thirds. In jazz, you distinguish between
Diminished Half Step and Whole Step Scales.

Fig. 7 Diminished Half Step Scale

Fig. 8 Diminished Whole Step Scale

Fig. 9 Diminished Hand

Diminished scales are symmetrical, parallel scales. In reality, only three keys exist, C, C# and D
each divided into 4 stacked minor thirds.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 14, Advanced Scales

WHOLE-TONE HAND
The whole-tone scale (Debussy Scale) is a neutral, symmetric scale. Only two keys exist, C
and C#.

Fig. 10 Whole-tone Scale

Fig. 11 Whole-tone Hand

Whole-tone Scale
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 15, Advanced Scales

CHURCH MODES IN ALL KEYS


The church modes consist of a Base Key (major) and the 7 modes placed on the scale steps.
The following table shows how to find the modes in all the 12 major keys.

Fig. 12 Church Modes in All Keys

Key Ionian Dorian Phrycian Lydian Mixolydian Aolean Locrian


Base MAJOR MODAL MINOR MODAL
C C Dm Em F G Am Bdim
Db Db Ebm Fm Gb Ab Bbm Cdim
D D Em F#m G A Bm C#dim
Eb Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm Ddim
E E F#m G#m A B C#m D#dim
F F Gm Am Bb C Dm Edim
F# F# G#m A#m B C# D#m E#dim
G G Am Bm C D Em F#dim
Ab Ab Bbm Cm Db Eb Fm Gdim
A A Bm C#m D E F#m G#dim
Bb Bb Cm Dm Eb F Gm Adim
B B C#m D#m E F# G#m A#dim

NOTE The modes are named with a pseudo key, in Major, Minor or Diminished. The
names are only guidelines, as for example a D minor Dorian, is not a normal minor but a
church mode, which happens to look a bit like a minor scale.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 16, Advanced Scales

ARTIFICIAL CHURCH MODES


JAZZ Although not really authentic Church Modes, the inventive jazz musicians have
experimented with artificial modes based on for example a Melodic Minor Scale. Here is
what the table for these artificial Church Modes looks like. The most common artificial church
modes in jazz are marked with lime green.

Fig. 13 Artificial Church Modes based on Melodic Minor in All Keys

Key Aolean Locrian Ionean Dorian Locrian, Lydian Locrian,


#2 Super Aug. Super
Base Minor MODAL Major MODAL
Cm Cm Ddim Eb Fm Gdim A Bdim
C#m C#m D#dim E F#m G#dim A# Cdim
Dm Dm Edim F Gm Adim B C#dim
Ebm Ebm Fdim Gb Abm Bbdim B# Ddim
Em Em F#dim G Am Bdim C# D#dim
Fm Fm Gdim Ab Bbm Cdim D Edim
F#m F#m G#dim A Bm C#dim D# E#dim
Gm Gm Adim Bb Cm Ddim E F#dim
G#m G#m A#dim B C#m D#dim E# Gdim
Am Am Bdim C Dm Edim F# G#dim
Bbm Bbm Cdim Db Ebm Fdim G Adim
Bm Bm C#dim D Em F#dim G# A#dim
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 17, Advanced Scales

Fig. 14 Locrian #2 Mode

Locrian #2 Mode is used for playing over minor chords with flattened fifths.

Fig. 15 Diminished Whole-tone Mode / Altered Scale

Super Locrian Mode (Altered Scale) This mode is also called the altered scale, and this
name is used in the section Application of Scales to Chords.

Fig. 16 Lydian Augmented Mode

Lydian Augmented Mode is used over major chords with augmented fifth.

Fig. 17 Lydian Dominant Mode

A variation of the above artificial mode is the Lydian Dominant Mode used over dominant
chords.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 18, Application of Scales to Chords

Application of Scales to Chords


This section is the advanced part of the Leading notes section in Chapter 3, Playing
in the Band. Here you find a table with suggestions of some possible choices of scale
types for various chord types. Please note that most of the chord types have
alternative scale types for Jazz and Rock. This is very important, as the choice of
scale type is the decision whether to play in rock or jazz style.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 19, Application of Scales to Chords

Fig. 18 Scale Types for Various Chord Types (Suggestions only)

Chord Type Suggested Scale Type


Major triad, maj7, maj6, maj6+9, ROCK Major
maj9 (when the chord is the tonic, I JAZZ Major scale, major pentatonic
maj, in a major key)
Major triad, maj7, any major chord ROCK Lydian
with #11 added (when the chord is JAZZ Lydian mode, major pentatonic a major second above the root
subdominant, IV maj in a major key)
Maj9, maj6+9 (except I maj in a ROCK Major
major key) JAZZ Major pentatonic a perfect fifth above the root
Maj7#5 (+(maj7)) ROCK Lydian
JAZZ Lydian augmented mode
Minor triad, m7, m9, m6, (when the ROCK Natural Minor
chord is the tonic, I min, in a minor JAZZ Minor scale, minor pentatonic (= major pentatonic a minor third
key) above the root), Aeolian mode
Minor triad, m7, m9, m11, m7sus4 ROCK Dorian mode
(when the chord is II min (SDm) in a JAZZ Dorian mode, major pentatonic a major second below the root
major key, or IV min (SDm) in a
minor key)
Minor triad, m7, m9, (when the chord ROCK Phrygian mode
is III min (Dm) in a major key, or V JAZZ Minor pentatonic (= major pentatonic a minor third above the
min (Dm) in a minor key) root), Phrygian mode
Any minor chord with b5 ROCK Dim scale scale
JAZZ Locrian #2 mode, (usual locrian mode can be used if the b9 is
omitted)
m(maj7) ROCK / JAZZ Harmonic minor scale
Dominant seventh, dominant ninth, ROCK Mixolydian mode, blues scale
dominant thirteenth JAZZ Mixolydian mode, major pentatonic, major pentatonic a minor
second below the root, blues scale, melodic minor scale, Lydian
dominant mode
Altered dominant chord with b9 or #9 ROCK Blues scale
((-9)(-10)) JAZZ Diminished half-step scale, altered scale
Altered dominant chord with b5 or #5 ROCK Lydian mode (b5) or whole note scale (+)
( +) JAZZ Whole-tone scale, altered scale (chords with b5/#11 can be
played over with the Lydian dominant mode)
Double-altered dominant chord with ROCK Blues scale or Lydian augmented mode
b9/#9 ((-9-10)) and b5/#5 (+(#11)) JAZZ Altered scale, major pentatonic a diminished fifth above the root
Dominant 11, dominant 9sus4 (sus9) ROCK Mixolydian mode or blues scale
JAZZ Major pentatonic a perfect fourth above the root
Diminished 7 (dim7) ROCK / JAZZ Diminished whole-step scale

You can of course choose to play in only one scale all through tune, but this tends to sound a little
boring if you do it all the time. Country and Folk Music tends to use the standard scale all the time,
but both Rock and Jazz have always used lots of strange scales to the chords. It is up to you and
your personal style.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 20, Chord Theory

Chord Theory
The basic Chord form is the Triad. It consists of three notes played at the same time.
Extended chords are triads with one or more added colour notes. See All Aspects
of ROCK & JAZZ /1 Music Theory, Harmony for all the details of Chord Types,
Functional Harmony, Modal and Sound Aspects in chords.

Fig. 19 The Six Basic Triad Types

REHEARSING THE CHORDS


When you rehearse the chords on the bass and the guitar, you must learn the typical sound of
the chord (Sound Aspect) as well as its mechanics, i.e. the typical colour notes and interval
structure of each chord. This knowledge is essential for being able to recognize the chords by
ear and to construct a powerful, yet clear bass to all kinds of chord, even the heavily extended
ones.
On guitar, the chords can be played as either open or movable/barre chords, similar to the
open hands and the movable hands in Chapter 2, Bass Technique.
The bassist is supposed to handle the guitar at a very high technical level, so it is very important
to rehearse all the chords intensely for a period of maybe one year before you can rely on your
own ability to recognize the chord structures and play the best possible bass to the chords.

ROCK AND JAZZ TERMINOLOGY


The use of Chord and Functional Harmony terminology differs greatly between rock and jazz.
To view the many different systems, please see All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ /1 Music
Theory, Harmony. In books written by jazz players, Roman numerals are used for Chord
functions (American tradition). The rock version of the function symbols is added after the
numeral. (D(m) = Dominant SD(m) = Subdominant DD = Double Dominant m = Parallel
Minor). The green colour is also used for stating different chord symbols in rock.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 21, Chord Theory

FUNCTIONAL HARMONY / DIATONIC TRIADS


In the All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ 1 / Music Theory, you will find a comprehensive chapter
of Harmony, including the complicated theory on Functional Harmony, i.e. the functional
relationship between chords in a scale. In the next two figures, you can find examples of a
major and a minor scale.

Fig. 20 Diatonic Triads in D Major

American Rock
System System
I major T (Tonic)
II minor SDm (Subdominant parallel minor)
III minor Dm (Dominant parallel minor)
IV major SD (subdominant)
V major D (dominant)
VI minor Tm (Tonic parallel minor)
VII diminished -

Fig. 21 Diatonic Triads in D Minor

American Rock
System System
I minor Tm (Tonic parallel minor)
II diminished -
III major T (Tonic)
IV minor SDm (Subdominant parallel minor)
V minor Dm (Dominant parallel minor)
VI major Sd (Subdominant)
VII major D (Dominant)
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 22, Chord Theory

SEVENTH CHORDS (4 PARTS)

Fig. 22 Seventh Chords in D Major

Seventh Chord Types Major 7, minor 7, dominant 7 and minor 7 (b5) (m(b5)7).
Function Seventh Chord Names Imaj7 (T maj7), IImi7 (SDm 7), IIImi7 (Dm 7), IVmaj7
(SD maj7), V7 (D 7), VImi7 (Tm 7), VIImi7(b5).

Jazz The ten seventh chord main types


Major 7 (maj7) Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh.
Minor 7 (m7) Root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.
Dominant 7 (7) Root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.
Diminished 7 (dim) Root, minor third, diminished fifth, diminished seventh.
Minor/major 7 (m(maj7)) Root, minor third, perfect fifth, major seventh.
Major 7 (#5) (+(maj7)) Root, major third, augmented fifth, major seventh.
Major 7 (b5) ((b5)maj7) Root, major third, diminished fifth, major seventh.
Dominant 7 (#5) (+7) Root, major third, augmented fifth, minor seventh.
Dominant 7 (b5) ((b5)7) Root, major third, diminished fifth, minor seventh.
Minor 7 (b5) (dim) (or half diminished chord) root, minor third, diminished fifth,
minor seventh.

Fig. 23 The Ten Seventh Chords

NOTE the second line of chords follows the rock tradition


Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 23, Chord Theory

SIXTH CHORDS (4 / 5 PARTS)


The sixth chord is the most common coloured chord, beside the seventh chords. It was also the
first extended chord in the 1800-ies, in the beginning regarded as a sharply dissonant chord.
The sixth note is the same in both the major and minor versions of the chord despite the fact the
minor scale sixth should be half a note lower than the major sixth. This chord, also called a
Naples Chord, has a very long tradition in classical music. It was extremely popular in early
jazz and even Beatles has used it a lot on their early records.

Fig. 24 Sixth Chords

SUS CHORDS
Suspended chords (sus) are neutral, working well in either major or minor. Traditionally, it is
used for cadences, resolving into a major chord (the suspended note, usually a fourth down to a
major third). In modern rock music, the suspended chords are often used as a background
chords, sometimes mixed with eleventh chords. This way, the gender of the scales are blurred,
making way for both blues, modal and major scales. Typical examples of suspended chords can
be found in the music of Nirvana.
Normally the suspended chords are simply called sus, but in jazz there are two types of
suspension, sus4 and sus2. The latter should rather be called diminished (dim3 for example)
as we are talking about a major third lowered to a second, musical expressions can be illogic).
The two types can actually be seen as two different chords depending on the context either
having the root in the bottom or at the top (fifth note).

Fig. 25 Sus Chords


Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 24, Chord Theory

CHORDS WITH ADDED NOTES


If you want to add a specific colour to a chord, for example a ninth, without the normal seventh,
you write (add 9). You could of course also use (add #11) or (add 13), but for historical reasons,
the (add 9) chord is by far the most common added chord. You may choose to add dissonant
colours, too, for example C(add G#) or E(add F), which I frequently do myself.
See also the comments under Minor 9 chords.

Fig. 26 (add 9) Chord

CHORDS WITH BASS NOTE


If the songwriter wants a specific bass note, he/she can place a special bass box with the desired
note under the chord symbol.

Fig. 27 Chord with Bass Note

D7
C
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 25, Chord Theory

EXTENDED CHORDS
Extended chords are very common in all modern music, rock, jazz, pop, soul etc. Before 1970,
extended chords were mostly played by advanced jazz musicians, but the fusion of rock and
jazz in 1970ies meant a liberation for the somehow stagnated use of chord in rock and soul,
and nowadays you will find event the most complex extended chords in many songs on the
radio or on MTV.
A couple of explanations are needed to understand the construction of extended chords. An
extended chord is a triad with one or more extra colour notes. As the triad chord uses the 1st, 3rd
and 5th note in the scale, the extended notes uses higher number, for example 9th instead of
the 2nd interval, in order to provide a logical, transparent construction of the extensions. In real
life, though, you can place the 9th and all other colour notes where you want, using 2nd / 9th
depending on the circumstances.
The extended high scale steps are named:
9th Major (9), minor (b9) ((-9))or augmented (#9) ((-10)).
11th Perfect (11) or augmented (#11).
13th Major (13) or minor (b13).
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 26, Chord Theory

NINTH CHORDS (5 PARTS)


The major ninth chords are the first step into the Jazz sound, but it is also widely used in pop.

Fig. 28 Major Ninth Chords with Major Seven

NOTE the second line of chords follows the rock tradition

Fig. 29 Minor Ninth Chords

NOTE In the rock tradition, the m9 chord does not have a minor seventh, it is traditionally played
as a minor chord with a ninth added. The m9 chord understood as the 7 and 9 is written m7+9
in rock.

Fig. 30 Ninth Chords with Minor Seven

NOTE the second line of chords follows the rock tradition


Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 27, Chord Theory

DOUBLE-ALTERED CHORDS
Jazz Double-altered chords are dominant chords with altered fifth and ninth. These strongly
coloured dominant chords are typical for modern jazz.

Fig. 31 Double Altered Chord (m9(5) (m(b5)7+9))

NOTE the second line of chords follows the rock tradition

ELEVENTH CHORDS (6 PARTS)


Eleventh Chords are typical for jazz and normally not used in standard rock (except for the
famous A11 chord that starts A Hard days Night with the Beatles).

Fig. 32 Eleventh Chords

NOTE the second line of chords follows the rock tradition

The eleventh chords and higher are so complex that they tend to be muddy and dissonant. To
lighten up the sound, the musicians traditionally leave out one or two notes, focussing on the
chords peculiar sound, in this case the eleventh note (or Fourth note) colliding sharply with the
major third with the mild minor seventh to cool of the dissonance.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 28, Chord Theory

THIRTEENTH CHORDS (7 PARTS)


The thirteenth chords are usually played as a reduced chord. There is a long tradition for playing
a 6+7 chord instead of the thirteenth chord, thus making the chord easy to play on the guitar.
The clash between the sixth and the minor seventh sounds like the upper thirteenth note
clashing against the minor seventh note of the full sixteenth.

Fig. 33 Thirteenth Chords

NOTE the second line of chords follows the rock tradition


Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 29, Chord Theory

STACKED CHORDS
JAZZ Chords build on triads are not the only chords in the world. In the experimental music of
the last century (especially the new classical music and the advanced jazz), the composers used
some new types of chords, based on fourth and fifth, the so-called Stacked Chords. Even
more advanced chords as the polychords are very common in modern jazz and classical
music.
Stacked Chords are used intensely in the jazz wind section, especially in combinations of
saxophones and trumpets / cornets.
TIP The bass to a stacked chord can be any of the notes in the chord, as the stacked chord itself
is neutral.

POLYCHORDS
JAZZ Polychords are one, two or more triads stacked upon each other. For obvious reasons, it is
much easier for a piano player than for a guitar player to use these chords, but if you stick to the
simple variants, it is possible, although you have to reduce the number of notes in the chords.
Bm
C or
Bm/C

Some typical jazz polychords:

C/D
Em / Am
Cm7 / Bb
C7 / D
C7 / F#
C7 / A
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 30, Chord Dictionary

Chord Dictionary
The classical way of representing the chords in a simple graphic form is the chord
box. This tool, used since the early 1920ies, is closely related to the Tablature, but
opposite to the dynamic note-like form of the tablature, the chord box is static. The
following tables show examples of how to produce a chord in different positions on
the fretboard. There are two main types of chord boxes, the open chords and the
movable chords. The latter is the most common in rock and jazz, while the open
chords (except for the golden chords) mostly belong to folk music and classical
guitar music. The chords are grouped into Standard, Extended, Neutral and
Advanced chords.

NOTE Chords marked with golden background are classic open chords.
The golden chords should be learned by heart before you learn any other chord forms!!!

Ask the Professor!

Q: What is a Chord Box???


A: The Chord Box is a schematic drawing of the strings and frets, where the
placing of the fingers is marked with black circles.

Fret Number In case of movable chords, the basic fret number is shown to the
left of the chord box.

1 Finger markers 4 Muted string


2 Fret 0 = open chord 5 Barre
3 Open string 6 Mini barre
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 31, Chord Dictionary

STANDARD CHORDS
Scale Major Minor 6 7 9
C 3 3 2

C#/Db 4 4 4 4 3

D 4

D#/Eb 6 6 6 6 5

E 6

F 1 1 1 1 1

F#/Gb 2 2 2 2 2

G 3 3 3 3

G#/Ab 4 4 4 4 4

A 5

A#/Bb 1 1 1 1 6

B 2 2 2 1
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 32, Chord Dictionary

EXTENDED CHORDS, 7
Scale maj7 m7 m(maj7) m7(b5) m7+9
C 3 3 3 3

C#/Db 4 4 4 4 4

D 5

D#/Eb 6 6 6 6 6

F 1 1 1
1

F#/Gb 2 2 2 2
2

G 3 3 3 3
3

G#/Ab 4 4 4 4
4

A 5 5

A#/Bb 1 1 1 1 1

B 2 2 2 2 2
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 33, Chord Dictionary

EXTENDED CHORDS, 9
Scale maj9 m9 (add 9) 7(b9) / -9 7(#9) / -10
C 3 8 2 2

C#/Db 4 9 9 3 3

D 5 10 4
10 4

D#/Eb 6 11 11 5 5

E 0 6

F 1 1 1 1 1

F#/Gb 2 2 2 2 2

G 3 3 3 3
3

G#/Ab 4 4 4 4
4

A 5 5 5 5
5

A#/Bb 1 6 6 6 6

B 2 7 7 0 0
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 34, Chord Dictionary

EXTENDED CHORDS, 11
Scale 11 7(#11) m11
C 3 2 3

C#/Db 4 3 4

D 5 4 5

D#/Eb 6 5 6

E 6 7
7

F 1 1 1

F#/Gb 2 2 2

G 3 3 3

G#/Ab 4 4 4

A 0 5 5

A#/Bb 1 6 1

B 2 0 2
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 35, Chord Dictionary

EXTENDED CHORDS, 6
Scale 6+7 6+9 6+maj7
C 3 2 3

C#/Db 4
3 4

D 5 4 5

D#/Eb 6 5 6

F 1 1 1

F#/Gb 2 2 2

G 3 3 3

G#/Ab 4 4 4

A 5

A#/Bb 1 6 1

B 2 0 2

NOTE The 6+7 chord is normally used as substitute for the 7-notes 13 chord, which cannot be played on a
6-string guitar. See the last Chord Box table for some other fake 13 chords.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 36, Chord Dictionary

EXTENDED CHORDS, (b5)


Scale (b5) 7(b5) maj7(b5)
C 3 3 3

C#/Db 4 4 4

D 5 5

D#/Eb 6 6 6

E 7 7 7

F 1 1 1

F#/Gb 2 2 2

G 3 3 3

G#/Ab 4 4 4

A 5

A#/Bb 1 1 1

B 2 2 2
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 37, Chord Dictionary

NEUTRAL CHORDS, +
Scale + / #5 7(#5) / +7 +(maj7)
C 8

C#/Db 4 9 1

D#/Eb 6 6 3

E 4

F 8 1 5

F#/Gb 9 2 6

G 3 3 7

G#/Ab 4 4 8

A#/Bb 1 1 1

B 2 2 2

Dear student: Please note that some of these chords can very difficult to play in the start! The problem is not
your fingers, but the chord.
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 38, Chord Dictionary

NEUTRAL CHORDS, DIM


Scale dim dim7
C 2 2

C#/Db 3 3

D 4 4

D#/Eb 5 5

F 1 1

2 2
F#/Gb

3
G 3

G#/Ab 4 4

A 5 5

A#/Bb 6 1

B 7 2
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 39, Chord Dictionary

NEUTRAL CHORDS, SUS


Scale sus4 sus2 sus7
C 3 3 3

C#/Db 4 4 4

D#/Eb 6 6 6

F 1 1 1

F#/Gb 2 2 2

G 3 3 3

G#/Ab 4 4 4

A#/Bb 1 1 1

B 2 2 2
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 40, Chord Dictionary

MOVABLE CHORDS, ADVANCED JAZZ


7 Variations
7(#5/b9) 7(#5/#9) 7(b5/b9) 7(b5/#9)

maj7 Variation
maj7(#11)

13 Chords
13 13 13(#11) m13

This was only the beginning!


The chord boxes in this chapter are only a few examples of the thousands of possible chord
variations. But the examples actually provide you with a whole range of classical open chords and
several movable forms, which can be used and varied endlessly. On the WEB and in your music
store, you can find many advanced books, with for example different tunings and modal chords.
So you see this was only an appetizer!
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 41, Chord Dictionary

THE BARRE CHORD


The principles of movable chords Folk music guitarists play with open string chords most
of the time. When the folk guitarist has to play in a strange anti-guitar key like Eb or Bb, the
poor guy needs to change the fret base to another starting point. An ancient device called the
capo does the trick mechanically. But what about the poor rock and jazz players? We use a
finger instead! By covering all six strings with the 1st finger on one of the frets, you have three
fingers left to reconstruct many of the open chords only in another key. The classic barre
fingering covers all the strings, but small 2, 3 or 4 string barre fingerings are also used to
compensate for the lack of 6-7 fingers! With the barre fingering, you are able to play in all keys
on an instrument born in the E, A, G and D keys.
Base Chords All barre chords are intimately connected to the open chords they simulate. The
barre chords can be classified according to base chords like this:
- Base E and Base A are the standard barre bases. They include both major, minor and
various extended chord forms.
- Other barre bases could be Base D, Base C or Base G, but the C and G bases are not
normal in rock. Base D is maybe new to even advanced rock players, although it is used in
jazz playing. So why not try the D major, minor and 7 chord, and listen to the new
interesting sounds of your guitar!

Having learned the basics of finger technique, scales and chords, you are now ready
for some real life bass exercises. Dont forget to rehearse minimum 1 hour a day on
the bass and to rehearse your guitar playing. Both instruments are important for your
musical development.

And now for the fun stuff!

Home
Chapter 4, ADVANCED SCALES AND CHORDS, Page 42, Index Scales and Chords

Index Scales and Chords


1 C N
-10, 19, 25 Chord, 19, 20, 24, 27, 30, 35, Natural, 19
13(#11), 40 41 Ninth, 26
1st, 41
D O
6 Diatonic, 21 Octave, 10
6+7, 35 Dim, 19
6+9, 35 Diminished, 10, 13, 17, 19, 22 P
6+maj7, 35 Dm, 19, 21, 22
Dominant, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22 Pentatonic, 12
7 Double, 19, 20, 27 Perfect fifth, 10
Double-altered, 19 Perfect fourth, 10
7(#11), 34 Phrygian, 19
7(#5), 37 E Polychords, 29
7(#5/#9), 40
7(#5/b9), 40 Eleventh, 27 R
7(#9), 33 Extended, 25, 30, 32, 33, 34,
7(b5), 36 35, 36 Root, 22
7(b5/#9), 40
7(b5/b9), 40 F
7(b9), 33
S
7th, 12 Finger, 30 Sd, 21
Flashcard, 6, 7 Seventh, 22
9 Fretboard, 5, 6 Sixth, 23
Stacked, 29
-9, 19 H Subdominant, 20, 21
Sus, 23
A Hand, 14

A#, 7, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36,


T
37, 38, 39
L TAB, 8
Ab, 7, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, Locrian, 17, 19 Tablature, 8, 30
37, 38, 39 Lydian, 17, 19 Thirteenth, 28
Aeolian, 19 Tonic, 21
Altered, 11, 17, 19, 27
Augmented, 10, 17
M
V
Maj7, 19
B Maj7#5, 19 Variation, 40
Major, 10, 12, 19, 21, 22, 31 Variations, 40
Barre, 30, 41 Minor, 10, 12, 19, 20, 21, 22,
Blues, 12, 19 26, 31
Mixolydian, 19

Potrebbero piacerti anche